National Republican., 1887-03-22

culture-that is, to tho propagation OF food
fishes, and the policy Of Commissioner
Baird bas been to carry out the idea that It
Is better to expend small amount OF pub
lie money In making fish so abundant that
they can be caught without restriction and
serve as cheap food for the people at large
rather than to expend much larger
amount in preventing the people from
catching the few that still remain after gen
erations Of improvidence.
From seventy to eighty.fveperc cent. OF the
entire appropriation since the commission
was established has been expended for
propagation, and much the larger part Of
this in establishing permanent stations, OF
which there are now quite number, "the
plsnt' In each case being valuable, and now
in condition TO furnish an immense amount
OF the eggs OF the best food fishes.
Some Of the results Of these stations are
shown by the reports of the gentlemen in
charge, that, for instance, Of Mr.. Living.
ston Stone, in charge of the hatchery on
the McCloud river In California. He says:
In the eleven years since the salmon- breed.
Ing station has been in operation 67,00O000
eggs have been taken, most Of which have
been distributed in the various states OF the
Union. Several million, however, have been
semitic foreign countries, including Germany,
France, Great Britain, Denmark, Russia, Bel
gum, Holland Canada New Zealand, Austria
liza, and the Sandwich Islands.
About 100000 have been hatched at the
station and the young fish placed In the Nc.
Cloud and other tributaries OF the Sacramento
river. So great have been the benefits of this
restocking Of the Sacramento that the statistics
OF the salmon fisheries on the Sacramento
show that the annual salmon catch OF the
river has increased 1000, 900 pounds each year
during the last few years.
The two hatcheries at Alpine aud North
vile, Mich, produced in one winter over
100, ,000,000 eggs Of the white fish, and the
fishermen Of the great lakes admit that but
for public fish culture half of them would
| have to abandon their calling. In the Po.
tomac the annual yield Of fish has been
brought up by the operations OF the fish
commission from 66s, 600 pounds in 1877, to
an average Of over 100000 pounds in re-
cent years. Numerous other cases could
lie referred to, but these are sufficient.
| Commissioner Baird seems to have de.
| fined the aims Of modern fish culture to be:
First. To arrive at thorough knowledge
of the life history from beginning to end of
every species Of economic value, the his.
tories of the animals and plants upon which
they feed or upon which their food is nour-
| iSed, the histories Of their enemies and
friends, and the friends and foes of theiI
enemies and friends, as well as. the cur
rents, temperatures, and other physical
phenomena of the waters in relation tc
migration, reproduction, and growth; and
second, to apply this knowledge in such Q
practical manner that every form of fish
sball be at least as thoroughly under con
troll as are now the salmon, the shad, the
alewife, the carp, and the white fish.
Accepting this definition as correct there
is no question but that the United States
is far ahead of every other nation in thu
world in fish culture, and that Prof. Bairt
is well entitled to the high encomium wnici
accompanied the award Of the grand priz,
at the Berlin exhibition in 1880, when tn
president Of the exhibition said it wa
given to him as "the first fish culturlst ii
the word.n
Nor does this praise, justly given, detrac
from that due to his able staff of assistant
whose skill, ingenuity, and devotion hav,
done so much to make the success of whicl
the country is so justly proud. Tue inven
tive genius of Macdonald aud Clark CAV,
the best Matching jars, and the constant
careful attention required and given by al
engaged in the work Of tine commission wer
as necessary as the learning and ability t.
conduct, and the choice of his assistant
shows that Prof. Baird is good judge 4
men as well as of fish.